


Hooves and Fins

by Aweebwrites



Series: Hooves and Fins [1]
Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/F, M/M, Slow Burn, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-03
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2020-02-16 08:38:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18687967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aweebwrites/pseuds/Aweebwrites
Summary: Every winter, a certain group of creatures meet up to get through it together. This winter, one such stallion finally found rhe courage to confess to his lovely merman.But how long will their happiness last?





	Hooves and Fins

"Look who’s out and about.” Jay says, landing on Cole’s hide, grinning as the Centaur gave an irritated huff.

“What did I tell you about riding me?” Cole says, giving the storm harpy a glare over his shoulders as he preened his feathers.

“Now is that how you treat a friend?” Jay says with a grin, properly straddling his hide, careful of the talons on his feet and the sides of Cole’s horse half.

“No, this is how I treat pesky birds using me as a perch.” Cole gruffed, trudging on through the snow, pulling the wool vest he traded in fairy territory closer to his home plains.

“Harsh Cole.” Kai says, arriving then, perching just before his mate who immediately cuddled up against his back, bright red, orange and gold feathers fueling him with warmth. “Usually you’d be there before snowfall. What caught you up?” He asked as Cole took a moment to bask in the warmth that always stuck with the Phoenix harpy, even when he wasn’t covered in fire.

“I stopped by someplace and paid for a favor.” Was all Cole said but the harpies on his back wouldn’t give up so easily.

“Oh? Does it involve a certain cold water mer?” Kai asked, wagging his brow as Jay snickered into his back.

Cole’s cheeks reddened and it wasn’t from the cold.

“’S none of your business.” He huffed, starting off in a trot.

The sooner he gets there, the better. Zane will be there any moment now and he wanted to be there before he came. If not then the lake would freeze over before they have a chance to relocate to their official meeting point. He could still get there with the lake frozen over but he always liked to see him emerge from the water like some sort of water angel.

“Considering you’re both our friends, I’d say it is.” Jay says then paused. “Do you think Nya will finally bring along this Skylor person?” He asked the two.

“She better. She promised last winter and then last summer and didn’t bring them either times.” Kai huffed. “I may not be a mer like her but I am her brother. As long as she’s happy and they don’t hurt her, I won’t have to roast anyone.” He said, spotting the lake up ahead with his sharp eyesight, despite the snowfall.

“Uh-huh, sure. Whatever you say hot head.” Cole says drily.

“I remember when I had a crush on Nya a long time ago. You singed off my primaries! I was grounded until they grew back!” Jay argued, lightning arcing through his blue feathers, making his eyes glow.

Cole yelped as he was jolted, almost bucking them off.

“Jeeze, watch it with the lightning, yeah?” He says, annoyed and Jay gave a sheepish sorry as the lightning faded.

“I’ve apologised for that a thousand times lightning bug and I’m still sorry. I looked after you the whole time, didn’t I? Plus, that’s how we got together to begin with.” Kai says, turning around on Cole to pull his mate close, wrapping him up in his warm feathers, pulling a happy trill from Jay.

“Hmmm… Ok. I’ll forgive you.” He murmured, nuzzling the light, skin coloured feathers against his neck as Kai crooned deeply.

“You two better not get frisky on my back.” Cole gruffed as he came to a stop before the lake that had already started to freeze over.

“You’re just jealous we aren’t you and Zane.” Jay mumbled against Kai’s neck.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Cole says, rolling his eyes. "You better get off or else.” Cole says, glancing back at them as he dragged his front left hoof through the snow a few times.

“Up we go.” Kai says and both harpies took to the air, hovering as they watched Cole.

Said centaur snorted before rearing up on his back hooves with a half whinny, half yell and stomped his hooves down again, making the entire ground shake with a brief yet turbulent earthquake. The waves from the vibration traveled from land to lagoon, shattering the thickening ice with ease, leaving the remaining chunks floating on top.

“Well that saved us some time.” Nya says, her head surfacing a moment after, flcking her deep blue, tipped with maroon ear fins clear of water so she could hear better.

“This year is colder than last for the lake to freeze over so quickly.” Kai says, landing in the snow that immediately began to steam and melt on contact with his taloned feet.

“I prefer to think of it as ideal.” Cole’s breath hitched at the familiar voice, watching eagerly as a large white tail with ice blue fins and spines carried the pale, cold water mer to shore.

His ear fins were white at the ends, turning blue towards his ear canal. The scales along the sides of his face and forehead were the same white as his tail and skin with an exceptional few that were the same pale blue. From the corners of his light blue lips were thin lines of blue that stopped a little before reaching his ears. Should he chose to open his mouth at its full width, those little blue lines would reveal taunt blue muscles and two rows of sharp, pointed teeth made to rip through flesh. His long blue claws were just as sharp and made that way for the same purpose. It’s the appearance of these cold water and deep water mers alike that made them so feared. To all but them. Cole just found him breath taking from the very first day he met him three years back. And his eyes… They were such a bright blue in comparison to the rest of him. He could stare into them for days…

“Earth to Cole!” Jay yelled, using a talloned foot to mess up his hair.

“Damn bird!” Cole growled as he batted him away, Jay laughing as he flew over to Kai.

“Are you ok Cole?” Zane asked, concerned as he worked his way closer to shore, the water just covering his tail now as he flattened the spines on his back and closed the gills along the sides of his chest so he could take in air through his nose.

“Y- yeah. I’m fine. Just uh- just wondering where Skylor is. Jay’s been wanting to meet her.” Cole quickly deflected, not about to admit he was lost in his gorgeous eyes.

At least, not in front of everyone.

“I did actually bring her this time. Gimme a sec.” Nya says then slithered around, back under the water, her tail flicking frigid water towards them.

Jay only managed to dodge by ducking behind his boyfriend. The water was warm before it hit Kai anyway.

“So it’s a she…” Kai says with narrowed eyes, crossing his feathered arms.

“Yes. She is. And quite nice.” Zane spoke up, gaining their attention.

“I’ll have to-”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you will. Can we move this to the caves? It’s freezing out here, even with my own personal warmer.” Jay pouts, taloned hands pressed up against Kai’s exposed stomach.

“In a sec.” Nya says, popping up again. “Guys, this is Skylor.” She says and they all watched in anticipation as the red head emerged soon after, her long hair creating a sort of red halo around her in the water.

“So you’re all Nya’s friends- and you must be her brother.” Skylor says, gesturing to Kai with her chin before raising more out of the water so they could see the seal tail she had from the hips down.

Considering that she had purple scales at the sides of her face, neck and shoulders, it was a little surprising. They didn’t think much of it however. Nya liked her and that’s all they needed to know.

“Nice to finally meet you all.” She says politely.

“Hi!” Jay chirped, waving at her. “I’m Jay, you already recognise my grumpy mate and our cold water friend and this is Cole!” He introduced. “No offence but can we go now? It’s only getting colder…” He whined, climbing Kai’s back.

“Fine you big baby. I’m a warm water mer and even I can take the cold for two or three hours.” Nya huffed and Skylor chuckled next to her.

“Uh, you guys go on ahead. I- uh. I wanna talk with Zane for a bit.” Cole says and Jay grinned widely, opening his mouth. “Alone.” He says firmly, cutting off whatever he was going to say.

Jay pouted as Kai chuckled.

“Alright. We’ll see you in a bit.” The phoenix harpy says, before they both flew off towards the hill descending into the lake close by.

A splash from Nya and Skykor and they were gone too. Now alone with Zane, he couldn’t help the brighter flush that filled his cheeks as the cold water mer looked at him curiously.

“You wanted to talk?” Zane prompts curiously.

“Yeah…” Cole says, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly before stepping closer, ignoring the frigid water lapping at his hooves. “I kinda wanted to say something a long time ago but I didn’t know how to say it, you know?” He says, pulling something out of the small satchel he always carries and lowered himself to his knees, shivering when the cold water lapped at his underbelly but ignoring it in favor of what he held in his hand.

Zane on the other had was still curious but was anticipating now. Was he saying what he hoped he was?

“I talked to Nya during the summer for the best thing I could offer you to not screw this up and well…” Zane lifted himself up on his hands unconsciously, heart pounding as Cole stretched his hand out to him.

Zane gasped softly, seeing the gorgeous pearl in his hand, his eyes widening as his pale cheeks turned light blue with his version of a blush.

“I really like you Zane… More… More than just friends.” Cole says, glancing away as his tail flicked anxiously. “And I was hoping you’d let me court you.” He says, catching the mer’s eyes again, swallowing nervously.

“Cole…” Zane says breathlessly, in awe of the large pearl and at his words. “Of course. Yes.” As if there was ever a doubt.

There was no question about it. He had been nursing a crush for the strong stallion with a kind smile and gentle hands since he first met him. He hadn’t said anything up until now, despite what Nya told him because he was seen as a monster and he didn’t think he could handle the rejection when crush spiraled into love so quickly.

“Really?!” Cole says, baffled yet excited.

“Really.” Zane smiled, accepting the pearl and craidling it gently, core warming at the sight of it.

He’s never seen any this big before. His webbed hand couldn’t fully close over it.

“Great.” Cole says with a relieved sigh before grinning wide.

Zane looked up at Cole again and shifted closer, reaching out and tugging him down by the wool vest. Cole flushed, now nose to nose with the beautiful cold water mer.

“May I… Kiss you?” Zane asked softly, learning the term from Nya and seeing it from Jay and Kai.

It seems like a very important part of courting for land creatures so he would like to do the same with his land creature.

“U-um yeah. Sure.” Cole got out, face red but anticipation building inside him.

Zane nods once before he closed his eyes and pressed his lips against Cole’s.

‘Hot…’ Was Zane’s first thought at his first kiss.

Cole was having opposite thoughts but neither minded. Taking the initiative, Cole cupped Zane’s cheek and deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding against Zane’s longer and smoother one. He tasted so much like cold and ocean and… And Zane. A low crooning sound had Cole pulling back, curious to the sound and where it came from. Instead, he saw Zane with cheeks blue with blush and lips puffy from their kiss.

“Forgive me. I only make that sound when I’m-”

“Wait, you made that sound?” Cole asked, surprised.

Zane nods and Cole… Found he liked it.

“Oh, OK.” Cole nodded as he swiped his thumb against his cheek he still held, smiling warmly once Zane leaned into it. “I know things won’t be easy what with me being a centaur and you a mer but I went to this sea witch earlier-”

“You what?!” Zane hissed, flinching back with wide eyes as he almost dropped the pearl.

“I- um… I went to a sea witch…” Cole says, taken aback and confused at Zane’s horrified expression.

“Sea witches are not to be trusted Cole! They are tricky and devious beings! Whatever they promised you will come at a cost you may not be able to pay!” Zane says, breathing picking up, worrying for his courted. “What did you ask them to do?” He asked, hoping there was a way out of it.

“I asked her for something that would let me breathe under water so I could be with you there.” Cole says quietly and Zane couldn’t help but awe at his thoughtfulness.

“Cole… That was thoughtful of you but we could have made it work still. I can breathe air for as long as I’d like. My only concern would be drying out.” He says, reaching up and cupped his cheek with his cold, webbed hand, making Cole shiver but lean into it. “You’re cold. Let’s head inside with the other and we can discuss how to get you out of this.” He says as he slithered backwards into the water.

“She was trustworthy though. Even Master Wu trusts her.” Cole says as he got up on all fours and began trotting along the coastline as Zane swum in the shallows, head out of the water.

Zane frowned at that. Master Wu is a dragon who can take a more humane form at will. He is almost as old as this world itself and was the one to teach them all about their powers. If he trusted a sea witch then they were trustworthy indeed. But even that didn’t soothe Zane’s worry.

“What did she give you?” Zane asked instead as he slithered along the coast really.

“Some kind of potion. She says it will only work when it’s time. Sadly I didn’t get when that time is.” Cole huffed, slowing down as he came to the entrance to the cave where Kai left a few feathers in the outside wall to warn anyone who were not friends to stay away.

Phoenix harpies may be extremely rare but every creature knew their beautiful feathers anywhere and knew it meant agony if they trespassed.

“We’ll talk more on the inside.” Zane says and Cole watched as he slithered into deeper waters before diving under, his white and blue tailfin disappearing soon after.

Cole smiled to himself despite it all and headed inside, lowering his upper half until he got to the main cave that was nice and wide, able to fit them all and more. Inside, the light from outside was reflected inside thanks to the water, showing Kai who was preening Jay’s feathers as they talked with Skylor and Nya who were in one of several pools in the cave. A splash alerted them that Zane had arrived and he climbed out of the main pool that lead to the sea into a slightly smaller one that was closer to the group and was easier to keep cool with his powers.

“Do you feel strange now? Or did you then?” Zane continued questioning.

“No. Not at all.” Cole says, settling next to his pool, leaning against the edge.

“What’s going on there?” Jay asked curiously.

“Cole went to a sea witch and I’m-”

“YOU WHAT?!” The others immediately blurted.

“Wu trusts her! Mistaké’s pretty cool!” Cole defended.

“Oh.” They all said, relieved.

“If Wu trusts her then it’ll be fine.” Kai dismissed, adding another blue feather to the small pile he had going.

“Yeah. Remember that time I got sick and set off this wicked storm that torched everything?” Jay asked, ruffling his right arm of feathers Kai was done with.

“How could I forget? One hit the pool and nearly fried me.” Nya says drily.

“Yeah, still sorry about that… But! She came over and gave me some stuff to make me better and it worked in a few minutes! No side effect aside from being unable to use my lightning for a few hours.” Jay shrugged.

“I suppose…” Zane relented, relaxing and trusting Wu’s judgement.

He glanced down on the pearl firmly clutched in hand with a small smile Cole saw- and made him grin like a dork.

“Holy moley pearl!” Nya gasped, peaking over into his pool to see it.

“So you two are finally courting?” Skylor asked, flicking her tail back and forth in the water.

“Ye- finally?” Cole asked her with an arched brow.

“Nya’s been telling me about you two for two years now. Honestly I was gonna intervene if you two didn’t get together before we have to split up again.” Skylor says with a smirk.

“Same.” Kai says, running his talons carefully though the shorter feathers along Jay’s thighs.

“I was just gonna dare Cole to say something.” Jay shrugged.

“… I’ve been thinking…” Zane says, gaining their attention. “About splitting up. I was thinking… I should stay here.” He says and Cole perked all the way up at that.

“And I could stay here too!” Cole says with a grin as he stood up, looking around the large sized cave. “I mean, it’s about time I left the herd anyway. Me and my dad don’t get along that much and… Well… I want to be anywhere you guys are.” He shrugged and Zane fell in love all over again.

He was too precious.

“This is our favorite nest after all…” Kai shrugged.

“Plus the caves go a lot higher. Maybe even Master Wu can hang out here, and even the squirt.” Jay suggests.

“It’ll be a lot of work fixing this place up more but it’ll be worth it in the end…” Nya shrugged.

“I wouldn’t mind sticking around either.” Skylor says as Nya wrapped her seal skin around her neck after she took it off.

“And with the pools already here and se- cure?!” Cole yelped once the rock below his back hooves gave away, sending him tumbling back into the water despite his desperate grasping of the rock with his front hooves.

“Cole!” His friends’ panicked scream of his name was all he heard before there was water over his head and- he had to hold his breath!

He kicked against the water, trying to swim to the top but the current was dragging him further down, out of the water entrance to the cave and further on still. He couldn’t surface! He could swim- all Centaurs could- but this current was too strong. He felt clawed hands under his arms trying to pull him up, a second pair holding him under his front hooves and yet another trying to push him up but it was no use. His lungs were on fire! He had to breathe! If he didn’t, he’d die! And if he did, the results were the same.

His vision began to blur as his kicks began to lose stamina. He saw panicked blue eyes before a white tail passing by upwards. He couldn’t hold his breath any longer… He was going to… Cold lips pressed against his, breathing air into his lungs but it wasn’t enough. His lung capacity is greater than a mer’s. As soon as his mouth pulled away, he breathed in. The burning stopped at least but now he couldn’t feel anything but the feeble working of his throat and lungs, trying to get air still as he we dragged along the current like a ragdoll. He reached out to touch his face once more but somewhere mid stretch, everything went dark.

“Cole! No!” Zane screamed once his eyes went dim and his heartbeat stopped but his scream was nothing but bubbles under the water.

Nya gritted her teeth as she held him still, tears vanishing instantly in the water.

“We’re out of the current now. Let’s get him to the surface.” Skylor says through clicks urgently, not willing to give up.

They can save him. They will! Zane swallowed then nodded, all of them holding a section and swimming up away from where they knew the currant was. When they broke the water, it was to anxious phoenix and storm harpies hovering over the water.

Jay gasped once he realised he wasn’t moving, his red rimmed eyes filling with tears.

“Is he?…” Kai whispered, tears threatening to fall.

“We have to get him to shore. Now.” Skylor says, even as they swam as fast as they could with him.

They pushed him up onto shore, Kai dropping down and checking his pulse. He gritted his teeth and shook his head.

“No way in hell you’re leaving us now Cole!” Kai yelled then began pushing at the torso of his horse half, barely budging it. “Dammit! I’m too light! Zane, Nya-” He stopped once he saw both mers and selkie not too far behind Cole, Nya comforting Zane as Skylor looked at him.

She shook her head and Kai gritted his teeth as he clenched his talons into his palm. Zane pulled away from a sobbing Nya to lean closer to Cole, trembling webbed hand brushing back his long hair from his face. He looked so peaceful. As if he was sleeping. He felt so numb as he gently stroked his pale cheek, not hearing his own anguished sobs over the deafening ringing in his ears but feeling them rock his body. He just got him…

Jay looked down at his best friend miserably, half blinded by his own tears. He was useless. Utterly useless in rescuing him. If he had… If he had… Done something other than spectating then maybe… Maybe… Kai pulled him into his chest, kissing the top of his head as he shook, his breathing heavy between choked off sobs.

“We-” Kai’s choked up words died on his tongue once he noticed something. “What’s with that green glow?” He whispered, gaining Jay’s attention.

He peeked out from Kai’s feathers, at the body of their friend and realised that he was right. There was a weird smokey green glow around him now that turned the skin of his upper half the same green.

“Guys!” Jay yelled, drawing their attention to him.

“What is that?” Skylor asked as she shifted closer.

Nya gasped then.

“He drank a potion from Mistaké! Do you think-”

Her question was answered by Cole suddenly gasping, his instincts sending him to his hooves and out of the shallows, nearly giving Zane a heart attack. Said mer blinked owlishly at his courted, hand over his wildly beating heart as Cole coughed up an unhealthy amount of water from his lungs, his legs wobbling as he did so.

“Cole?!” Kai gasped as the centaur panted heavily, blinking confused.

“K-Kai?” Cole rasped, confused.

Didn’t he just…

“Cole!” Jay screeched happily launching himself at his best friend, wrapping himself around his upper half and digging his talons into his flesh and repeatedly zapping him with his happy electricity.

“Ow! Ow! Ow!” Cole hissed and pried him off of him. “Glad to see you too pal but I still have feelings!” He says, holding him back at arm’s length.

“Just checking.” Jay says cheekily then gave him a relieved smile. “I’m just glad you’re back, no matter whatever you are now.” He says as Kai collected his mate.

“Yeah. You had us all for a while there.” Kai says with a grin as Cole looked himself over.

“Why am I green?” Cole asked as he looked at his hands then chest and hide.

His hide was still black but with a weird low green glow… He gasped.

“Am I a ghost?! Or a zombie?!” He asked, freaking out.

Nya huffed out a laugh as she leaned against Skylor. Yep. This is their Cole.

“Neither actually.” Zane spoke up, shock finally wearing off.

Cole’s eyes instantly locked onto his courted before he approached, not feeling the coldness water at all. Not when he had Zane here, when he had a second chance with him.

“Zane…” Cole whispered as he lowered himself to his knees in the water, reaching down-and-out cupping both of his cheeks.

“Up North… There’s a name for what you are now…” Zane whispered, reaching up a webbed hand to cup his cheek as well. “Kelpie.” He murmured, urging himself closer, his other hand tracing the beginnings of gills at the side of his lower half.

“Doesn’t matter too much to me. I’m just glad I get a second chance with you.” Cole murmured, leaning down and pressing a kiss against his forehead.

Zane smiled softly, glad too. But after a day like today? He just wanted to curl up and sleep with his beloved.

 

_A few weeks later..._

 

“You know, I just realised. I could have tried shocking your heart.” Jay says a week later, perched on the edge of Cole and Zane’s shared pool where Cole was getting used to breathing underwater.

“Yeah, no. You still don’t have your voltage settings under control.” Cole says with narrow eyes, switching to air so he could speak. “All you’d do is make it impossible for me to come back.” He huffed, nuzzling Zane’s throat where his mark would be when they were ready.

Zane only crooned, wrapping his tail around his front hoof as he pressed closer. That day gave him nightmares still but talking about it like this seems to help.

“Really, thank you for not doing that.” Zane says with a smirk, making Cole and Kai snicker while Jay pouted.

“And you were here when Mistaké came to talk to us. Cole was meant to die that day. There was nothing we could have done to change it.” Nya says, leaning on the edge of her pool and messing up the feathers in Kai’s hair below.

It had ate at her how the water currant wouldn’t listen to her, despite her being able to control nearly all aspects of water. She accepted it after that explanation. After all, faith was a fickle thing…

“I’m curious about you and Nya.” Kai says to Zane. “You need to stay in cold water and Nya needs to stay in warm. Sure the lake is pretty huge but I don’t think it can do both.” He says, looking up at Nya.

“It can’t right now but with some new currants and Zane’s affinity for ice, it’ll be cozy for us both. We can always meet up on the middle for a few hours too.” She shrugged.

“But aren’t cold water mers territorial?” Skylor asked as she swung her purple scaled legs back and forth in the water from Nya’s pool, her serpent tail doing the same.

“Just as much as your average warm water mer. If food is scarce on the other hand…” Zane says, recalling witnessing death matches over territory with plentiful food.

“It won’t come to that. All of the lake is our territory- we made that clear. Even when Wu, Lloyd and whoever else we decide on get here in spring, we’ll still have a lot of food to spare. Don’t worry about it.” Cole says, pecking Zane’s nose the mer promptly wrinkled cutely.

“We made clear? You mean you.” Skylor snorted. “Every squatter was scared speechless seeing a kelpie rise up out of the lake like a demon, flashing fangs and glowing green eyes. Hell, I nearly took off too.” She admits and they chuckled.

“Yeah. If anyone here is territorial, it’s you.” Kai grinned.

“Luckily a certain someone just loves that~” Jay cooed and they all laughed at the blushing couple.

Zane smiled despite it though. His pod was unique but he loved them all.

**Author's Note:**

> This is an ongoing series I'm totally winging. I hope you guys liked it!


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